1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toilet paper roll holder. More specifically, the present invention pertains to an improved toilet paper roll dispenser and holder for residential use that stores multiple rolls of toilet paper and allows for easy replacement of toilet paper rolls when a new roll is required.
Toilet paper is a soft type of paper product used to maintain personal hygiene. It is distinguishable from facial tissue because toilet paper is designed to decompose in a septic tank. Toilet paper comes in a wide variety of plys, colors, and scents. Regardless of type, virtually all toilet paper is wrapped on a cardboard tube.
Toilet paper holders are found in virtually every home in the United States. A traditional toilet paper dispenser is designed to hold only one roll of toilet paper. This requires a storage location for additional rolls, and requires checking to make sure there is sufficient toilet paper in the dispenser prior to use. In addition, traditional toilet paper dispensers are constructed with retractable sides and spring-loaded mechanisms in their center. This design causes problems for users who have difficulty grasping and controlling the sides. Such individuals may need assistance in replacing toilet paper rolls.
The present invention is designed to give consumers an easily accessible place to store multiple rolls of toilet paper for when their current roll is emptied, and allows consumers to easily replace a new roll. The design contains a toilet paper dispenser with a weighted base and an elongated vertical body, onto which several rolls of toilet paper can be placed. The top portion of the elongated body pivots, and may be locked at a vertical position, allowing for storage of new rolls of toilet paper, or may be locked at a horizontal position for dispensation of the toilet paper for use. Once a roll of toilet paper is depleted, users slide a replacement roll up the vertical body, over the pivot, where it rests on the horizontal body.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are several toilet paper holders in the prior art that are designed to hold more than one roll of toilet paper. For example, Grunerud, U.S. Pat. No. 4,463,912 discloses a dispenser for toilet paper. The dispenser has a storage container which allows a plurality of rolls to be stored in an end-to-end stack arrangement. The lowest roll can be dispensed by a user through a side opening in the storage container. When the lowest roll is completely used, the user can discharge the roll core by pulling a slide plate outwardly to align an aperture in the slide plate with the used core. Devices such as this are intended for use in public bathrooms, where theft of toilet paper rolls is of greater concern than ease of use. These designs are not suitable for residential settings.
Other devices disclosed in the prior art are designed only to store extra rolls of toilet paper. Hooser, U.S. Pat. No. 4,432,451 discloses a bathroom accessory in the form of a canister for convenient storage of extra rolls of toilet paper and a suction type device. Such devices are not intended to dispense toilet paper, therefore requiring a separate dispenser.
Several devices designed for the home function both as storage containers and as toilet paper dispensers. Kelley, U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,818 discloses a device and method for dispensing and storing multiple rolls toilet paper, which has a storage frame configured to hold multiple rolls on a generally vertical shaft. The shaft extends upward from the bottom of the frame with the uppermost roll of material being freely accessible for use on the shaft. A lifting assembly is slideably secured to the shaft and positioned below the bottom roll of rolled material. Kaysserian, U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,475 discloses a container for storing and dispensing a plurality of rolls of tissue stacked vertically adjacent to one another and includes tubular side walls. Sineni, U.S. Pat. No. 4,607,809 discloses a toilet paper holder and roll dispenser for residential use that includes an enclosed, vertically tubular body that receives the rolls, with a bracket adapted to fit over the top rim of a conventional residential toilet tank under the tank cover without the need for any special fasteners or wall damage. An actuator rod is slideable in axial slots in the body to shift the rolls upwardly so that the top roll may be easily removed, and the rod may be locked in any desired position by simply rotating the rod 90 degrees. While these devices are designed for the home, they store extra rolls of toilet paper inside a canister, and use complicated mechanisms to remove toilet paper rolls. This can cause difficulty for some users when accessing additional rolls.
The devices in the prior art are designed for commercial applications, and are not suitable for use by those who have difficulty replacing toilet paper rolls on traditional dispensers. The present invention is designed for use by all individuals, particularly children, elderly persons, and other individuals who may have difficulty replacing toilet paper rolls on traditional dispensers. It substantially diverges in design elements from the prior art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing toilet paper holders and dispensers. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills this need.